FRONT COVER PHOTOSby Tang Chhin Sothy:

A young Cambodian acid attack survivor with atowel which she wears over her head whenevershe goes outside of her house, to conceal herbadly-scarred face. Another acid survivor athome with her younger sister, an apsara dancer.Both survivors were permanently blinded by acid.

published by: PROJECT AGAINST TORTURECambodian League for the Promotion & Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO)Address: No 103, Street 97, Phnom Penh, Cambodia • Mailing: PO Box 499, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Telephone: (855) 23 360965 • Fax: (855) 23 360965 / 217626 • Email: Licadho@camnet.com.kh

Living in the Shadows:Acid attacks in Cambodia

published by: PROJECT AGAINST TORTURECambodia n Lea gue f or the Promotion of Human Rights (L ICAD H O)

2003

table of CONTENTS

chapter one: INTRODUCTION 1§ What are acid attacks? 1§ How big is the problem, and why does it happen? 2§ What type of acid is used? 3

chapter two: CASE STUDY OF AN ACID ATTACK 3

chapter three: STATISTICS FROM NEWSPAPER REPORTS 5§ How many attacks are there? 5

§ Who are victims of acid attacks? 6§ Who are perpetrators of acid attacks, and why? 7§ Victims’ injuries 9

chapter four: PHYSICAL CONSEQUENCES FOR VICTIMS 10§ Injuries 10§ Treatment 11

§ Hospital services 12

chapter five: OTHER CONSEQUENCES FOR VICTIMS 14§ Psychological consequences 14§ Social & economic consequences 14

chapter six: THE LAW 16§ How can perpetrators be punished? 16§ Is the law enforced? 16

§ Important law initiative 18

chapter seven: EXPERIENCE IN BANGLADESH 18

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTION 19

chapter one: INTRODUCTION

Bophal1 is aged only 24, but feels like she is just waiting to die. Every day is a day of

pain, suffering, misery and humiliation for her. Three years ago, someone poured

two bottles of acid over her head and body. Today, her face, arms and back are

covered with horrible scars, and half her head is bald. She spends her days crying

and hiding from the world, afraid to go outside. She is not dead but not fully alive.

“Now, I am half human and half ghost,” she says. “The person who did this to me,

why didn’t they kill me right away, by shooting or stabbing me? Why did they let me

live, in this condition?”

What are acid attacks?Throwing acid is one of the worst crimes that a person can commit. The perpetrator usually doesnot want to kill the victim, but wants to do something worse than murder – make the victimsuffer forever. Acid melts human flesh and even bones, causing excruciating pain and terror, andleaves the victims mutilated and scarred for the rest of their lives. Some suffer permanentdisabilities such as blindness.

Acid throwing is usually an act of revenge, motivated by jealousy or hatred, because of apersonal relationship problem such as a broken love affair or marriage, unfaithfulness, orrejection. The perpetrator blames the victim for the problem, and wants to inflict as muchphysical and mental suffering as possible. The acid is usually thrown at the victim’s face. Theperpetrator wants to destroy the face and make the victim look like a monster, so nobody willlove the victim ever again.

Other reasons for acid attacks, in some cases, have included robbery or disputes betweenneighbors.

Acid throwers act cruelly and deliberately. Acid attacks are usually not spontaneous acts ofanger. The perpetrator must plan the attack by obtaining the acid, carrying it safely, and stalkingthe victim.

For victims, acid throwing is a type of torture which never ends. As well as permanent physicaldamage and scarring, victims suffer many other long-lasting problems. They feel sad, worthless,worried and ashamed. They may become very lonely, because other people stare or laugh atthem or blame them for the acid attack. Victims may never marry or have children, and evensimple tasks like going to the market may be embarrassing and frightening for them. They maynot be able to work, or nobody will give them a job, so they become very poor and struggle tosurvive.

No-one deserves to be attacked with acid. Victims should not be blamed. They need goodmedical care and help to rebuild their lives, and should have the same work, education and otheropportunities as everyone else. The perpetrators of acid attacks should be arrested and punishedaccording to the law, in order to give justice to victims and acknowledge their pain andsuffering.

1 Not her real name, to protect her privacy.

LIVING IN THE SHADOWS: ACID ATTACKS IN CAMBODIA2

How big is the problem, and why does it happen?At least 44 acid attacks were reported in Cambodia in a three year period up to November 2002,injuring 60 people and killing three others. This means an average of one attack every 25 days.Licadho collected these statistics from newspaper reports, and the real number of acid attacksmay be higher. Not all cases may be reported in newspapers.

Nearly one third of the people injured in acid attacks are not the intended victims. This isbecause acid is a messy weapon, and other people nearby the victim at the time of the attack areoften injured accidentally as well. For example, two young boys were badly injured in an acidattack which killed their mother. In another case, a woman threw acid at her husband but it alsohit her own 5-year-old son.

The targets of acid attacks are mainly women, but men are also deliberately attacked. Both menand women commit acid attacks.

Most attacks are perpetrated because of family or personal relationship disputes or problems.The most common types of attacks are:

§ Wives throwing acid aga inst their husbands’ mistresse s or second wives: to take revengeand destroy the appeara nce of the victims so tha t the husbands will not stay w ith them;

§ Husbands throwing acid against their w ives or former wives: usually to punish them forsome alleged mista ke or beca use of jea lousy or a nger about a se paration or divorce.

A less common but especially disturbing type of attack is women who throw acid at theirhusbands because the husbands beat and abused them. This shows what can happen whendomestic violence is not stopped, and victims feel they have no other way to protect themselves.

Acid throwing highlights serious problems in Cambodian society and families. The root causesof acid attacks include high levels of violence and social problems within society, andwidespread discrimination against women.

D ec ade s of wa r, ge noc ide a nd pove rty have dama ge d the mora ls, Buddhist pr inc iple s a nd fa milyvalue s of people a nd cr ea ted much violenc e and c rime in socie ty. Many people use viole nc e a s aw ay to settle pr oble ms or dispute s. Viole nc e is common w ithin f amilies, a s w ell a s soc ia l proble mssuc h a s alc oholism, mar ita l qua rr els a nd infidelity. Some me n bea t a nd abuse the ir wives or take mistr e sses or se cond wive s. Women ha ve little powe r to stop misconduct by their husba nds or getjustic e for it. In these c ir cumstanc es, people r esort to thr owing ac id, r ather than pe ac ef ul andlaw ful mea ns, to e xpr ess the ir je alousy a nd a nge r or to tr y to re solve their proble ms.

Women are often the targets of acid attacks, which indicates that society often blames women –rather than men – for family problems. Even women perpetrators may blame other women,rather than the men who are involved. For example, an angry wife is far more likely to throwacid at her husband’s mistress than at her unfaithful husband.

Other factors contribute to acid attacks, including that acid is a cheap and easy weapon to obtainand use, compared to guns, knives and grenades. Another problem is Cambodia’s weak policeand court system, which is corrupt, ineffective and poorly resourced. Acid throwers and othercriminals may be able to avoid justice, especially if they are richer or more powerful than theirvictims. If perpetrators are not punished, it encourages other people to think that they cancommit the same crimes with impunity.

Without strong action against acid throwers, the number of cases will probably increase and thereasons for attacks will grow more varied. Already, it is not only family problems which lead toacid attacks. In a few cases, other reasons for attacks have included robbery or personal quarrelsand disputes not related to family matters. Hospital doctors say they have also seen some casesrelated to land or property disputes.

Cambodia should le ar n f rom othe r countrie s suc h as Ba ngladesh, whe re la ck of punishme nt of per pe tra tor s ha s bee n bla med f or a big incr ea se in ac id viole nc e in re c ent yea rs. A s a cid thr ow ingbec ame mor e c ommon in Bangla de sh, the types of vic tims a nd the re a sons for a ttac ks inc re ase d.Pre viously, a cid w as ne ar ly alwa ys thr ow n only a t gir ls or w ome n by je alous or a ngr y me n. Now ,mor e tha n 30% of vic tims a re me n and land disputes ar e one of the bigge st r e asons f or atta c ks.

A REPORT BY LICADHO 3

What type of acid is used?Acid throwers mainly use sulfuric or nitric acid, which are two of the strongest acids and can eatthrough the skin, muscle and even bones of humans.

Sulfuric acid is very common because it is used in car and motorcycle batteries. Battery acid isheavily diluted, so that it is 75-80% water, and weaker and slower to burn it if touches humanskin. Acid throwers prefer stronger, undiluted sulfuric acid. Undiluted sulfuric acid sells inPhnom Penh for about 3,000 riels a liter, and diluted battery acid for 500-600 riels per liter.Sulfuric acid is also sometimes used to make vinegar, although health authorities have crackeddown on this because it is poisonous, or to clear blockages from plastic plumbing pipes.

Nitric acid is used in Cambodia by goldsmiths to purify gold, separating it from silver and othermetals. One liter sells for about 6,000 riels.

Another type of acid, hydrochloric, may also be used by acid throwers but not so commonly.This type of acid is used in Cambodia to polish jewelry and to make soy sauce, as well as to turnyellow-vine collected from forests into powder used for cosmetics and traditional medicine.Hydrochloric and sulfuric acids are also used to illegally produce amphetamine drugs, which isbelieved to occur in Cambodia.

In early year 2000, Phnom Penh municipality took action to prevent acid attacks by instructingthe police to warn acid vendors not to sell strong, undiluted acid except to licensedbusinesspeople who use it in their work. But the ban has not been fully enforced, and acidthrowers still manage to buy strong acid.

One battery acid shop owner in Phnom Penh says that at least two or three people a week cometo ask to buy undiluted acid. He says he knows that they want the acid for “bad purposes”, so herefuses. But not all acid sellers may care who they sell acid to, and what it is used for.

chapter two: CASE STUDY OF AN ACID ATTACK

One day in May 2002, a mother in Kompong Cham told her 13-year-old son to go with her on amoto to a nearby village. The mother, who also carried a plastic Sprite bottle, stopped near asmall rented house and waited with her son. A young woman, who was 8 months pregnant,walked out of the house to buy some sour fruit at a stall nearby. The mother gave the Spritebottle to her son, and pointed toward the young woman. The son did what he was told. He ranover to the young woman and doused the liquid in the bottle over her face, with some of itsplashing over her arms and pregnant stomach. The boy raced back to his mother, who waswaiting for him on the moto.

Whether or not the young boy realized what he was doing, the liquid in the Sprite bottle wasacid. The mother had deliberately used her son to attack her husband’s mistress. The boy and themother rode away on the moto, leaving the victim screaming as the acid ate into her flesh. Herface burned and turned black, and her eyes and one of her ears were burnt away. The victim’smother ran to help her daughter, and called a moto-doup to take her to hospital.

The background to the attack began two years earlier when the victim, named Sophea2, was aged18 and working as a restaurant beer girl. She became friends with an older man, aged 34, amoto-doup driver who took her back and forth from her rented house to her work. Sophea toldthe man her story about how she came from a poor family in Prey Veng province to work as abeer girl in Kompong Cham. The man says that he listened to her story and felt pity. Later, hebegan a relationship with Sophea, even though he was already married and had two children.

2 Not her real name, to protect her privacy.

LIVING IN THE SHADOWS: ACID ATTACKS IN CAMBODIA4

The relationship lasted nearly two years before the man’s wife found out. The wife asked herhusband to stop the affair, but he did not. The wife also went to Sophea’s home and told her tostop seeing her husband. However, the husband and Sophea continued their affair.

After Sophea got pregnant, she and the man ran away to live together in Prey Veng province.Four months later, relatives of his wife followed him and persuaded him to return to KampongCham to reunite with his wife. The man went back to his wife but continued his affair withSophea, who also returned to Kampong Cham from Prey Veng. The man lived with his wife butsecretly visited Sophea at her new rented house.

On May 24, 2002, the wife found Sophea’s new house and saw that her husband was there. Thewife angrily slapped the face of Sophea, who was 8 months pregnant. The husband, angry andembarrassed, slapped his wife back and she left.

The next day, the husband returned to his wife’s house. His wife blamed him, and he did notlisten to her but walked away to play billiards with neighbors. About noon, his brother came totell him that Sophea had been hit by acid.

After the attack, Sophea was taken to Kampong Cham provincial hospital and the police arrestedthe wife and her 13-year-old son. While in police custody, the wife suffered health problems andthe police sent her to the provincial hospital. The wife and her victim Sophea both stayed at thesame hospital, but in different wards.

The next day the police sent the case to the provincial court, which interviewed the suspects.Because of health problems, the wife was sent back to hospital but her son was sent to prison.

The wife’s father hired a lawyer in Kompong Cham town. The lawyer and the perpetrator’shusband, who had the affair with Sophea, persuaded Sophea’s mother to drop the complaint inreturn for compensation. Sophea’s mother received $100 once and another time 100,000 riels.Court officials agreed to drop the case, even though the law states that a criminal case cannot besettled by a private deal outside of the court.

On June 12, the 13-year-old boy who threw the acid was released from prison. His mother tookhim and her second child to live in another place.

Sophea spent seven weeks in hospital. She w as pe rmane ntly blinded in both eyes, and her right earwas almost completely burnt off. Her f ace w as ba dly scarre d, as well as her right shoulder and arm.

Six weeks after the attack, Sophea gave birth to a baby girl. Sophea could not see her daughterbut she counted the baby’s fingers and toes and touched the ears, eyes, nose and mouth to makesure everything was all right. She had feared that the acid would affect her baby, but the childseemed fine. Sophea looked after her daughter carefully and lovingly, lulling the baby to sleep inher arms. However, Sophea’s small happiness did not last. Four days after the birth, the baby gota high fever and convulsions and died. The cause of death is not clear.

After being discharged from hospital, Sophea lived with her mother, who is divorced, in therented house. The hospital asked for 200,000 riels for Sophea’s treatment but agreed to waivethe charge because she was poor. But her mother had still spent at least 50,000 riels formedicines for Sopheap while she was in hospital. At home, Sophea and her mother struggled tosurvive. Sophea depended on her mother to pay for food and other expenses, and the moneyfrom the perpetrator’s compensation was soon spent. The earnings of Sophea’s mother fromselling jelly dessert (chahouey) every afternoon were not enough.

The perpetrator’s husband stayed with Sophea while she was in hospital and afterward. The mansaid he does not expect his wife’s relatives will ever forgive him. He said he has nothing in hishands and doesn’t know how he will survive. His wife and her father took everything in thehouse when they moved to live somewhere else. The man may lose his land and empty housebecause he cannot repay an ACLEDA debt that his family had borrowed to do small business.The man decided to stay with Sophea and try to find some work, but he worried that hungerwould make him become a thief or robber.

A REPORT BY LICADHO 5

Four months after the acid attack, while on a trip to Phnom Penh for follow-up surgery,Sophea’s mother abandoned her daughter and ran off with a new boyfriend. The mother and herboyfriend returned to Kampong Cham to remove possessions from the rented house and thenwent to live in Prey Veng. Two months later, after an argument, the mother threw acid in theface of her boyfriend. Fortunately, the acid was weak battery acid and did not blind him or causeserious injuries. Police wanted to arrest the mother but her boyfriend asked the police not to.

Finally, the mothe r r etur ned to live w ith Sophe a a nd the per pe tra tor ’s husband, who r ema ined inPhnom Pe nh when the mothe r r an aw ay to Pr ey V eng. With support f r om a n N GO , Sophe a r enteda house to live in. But the la ndlor d w as rude to he r and gossiped about her , bec a use she w a s ana cid vic tim, so Sophe a had to move to a nothe r r ente d house whose ow ne r w as more sympathetic .

Sophea faces a life of difficulty and poverty. She has to learn how to live without her eyesight,and her face is badly scarred forever. Sad and hopeless, she spends a lot of time crying and doesnot know how she will survive.

chapter three: STATISTICS FROM NEWSPAPER REPORTS

How many attacks are there?At least 44 acid attacks were reported in local newspapers in the three years between December1999 and November 2002.3

The attacks occurred in Phnom Penh (24 cases), Kompong Cham (7 cases), Kandal (4 cases),Prey Veng (2 cases), Battambang (2 cases), and Kompong Chhnang, Kompong Thom, SiemReap, Kompong Som, and Kompong Speu (1 case each).

The frequency of the attacks, divided into six-month periods over the three years, is shown in thegraph below.4

Number of Acid Attack Victims (December 1999 - November 2002)

0

5

10

15

Dec 1999-May 2000

Jun-Nov2000

Dec 2000 -May 2001

Jun-Nov2001

Dec 2001 -May 2002

Jun - Nov2002

As the graph shows, many attacks were reported between December 1999 and May 2000 – atotal of 15 attacks, which is 35% of all the reported attacks over the three years. Six of theseattacks occurred in the month of December 1999, the highest number of attacks in any singlemonth in the three years period.

3 Licadho began recording acid attacks reported by two newspapers – Rasmei Kampuchea & Koh Santepheap – in

December 1999. For this report, additional information about some cases was taken from other newspapers or from

Licadho’s own investigations.4 The graph excludes two acid attacks, which occurred in October and November 1999 but were not reported in

newspapers until after December 1999.

LIVING IN THE SHADOWS: ACID ATTACKS IN CAMBODIA6

It is impossible to be sure why so many attacks were reported around this time. However, itcould be connected to an attack on karaoke singer Tat Marina committed on December 5, 1999.There was a lot of publicity about this attack and the fact that the alleged perpetrator andaccomplices were not arrested and brought to court. It is possible the actual number of acidattacks did not increase after this case, but that journalists were just more interested in reportingon every case which occurred. However, it is also possible that the Tat Marina case didcontribute to a real increase in attacks, as more people believed that they could throw acid andwould not be punished by the law.

Who are victims of acid attacks?Of the total of 63 people hit by acid in the three-year period, 31 of them were male and 30female (plus two victims whose sex was not reported in newspapers).

At least 18 of the victims (29%) were not the intended targets of the attacks but were injured bychance. They included friends or family members of intended victims, moto-doup driverstransporting the victims at the time of attack, and other people nearby. The 18 people comprised12 males and four females (plus the two victims whose sex was not reported), which shows thatmore women were deliberate targets of attacks and more men were injured by chance.

The females hit by acid ranged in age from 4 to 45, and the males from 5 to 53. Most victims,male and female, were aged between 18 and 33 (see graph below5). The average age of femalevictims was 24, and the average age of males was 29.

0

5

10

15

Number of

victims

0-17 18-25 26-33 34-41 42 +

Age groups (years)

Victims by Age Group and Sex

MaleFemale

Six minors (aged under 18) were among the injured. There were two cases of girls, aged 16 or17, deliberately attacked by women who suspected the girls of having relationships with theirhusbands. The other four children, aged between 4 and 12, were all injured accidentally duringattacks. The youngest victim, a 4-year-old girl, was one of six people injured when a womanthrew acid at her husband during a child’s birthday party.

5 Graph excludes two female victims whose ages were not reported.

A REPORT BY LICADHO 7

WOMAN THROWS ACID ON SON

Phok Veasna, aged 32, attacked her husband with acid at their P hnom Penh house in

2002 after hearing rumors that he had a rel ationship with another woman. Her husband

was badl y burned on the face and chest. Some aci d also spi lt over the couple’s five-

year-old-son. Veasna was arrested and detai ned, and her husband and son taken to

hospital . Veasna told police that she had no intention of harmi ng her son, but the acid

spl ashed on to him. Nei ghbors sai d they did not see or hear about the husband having a

new wife, and wondered why V easna acted in a foolish way because of a rumor.

Who are perpetrators of acid attacks, and why?Out of the total of 44 reported acid attacks, 23 cases involved female perpetrators, 17 involvedmale perpetrators and four were unknown.6

Most of the attacks (32 out of 44 cases) were allegedly committed because of family or personalrelationship problems. Another six cases were committed for other reasons, and there was noinformation reported about the motives for the remaining six attacks. (See table below).

P ER PE TRA TOR ’S MOTIVE S IN 44 AC ID CA S ES

Attack by w ife against her husband’ s ( suspected) m i stress or second wi fe: 13 cases

Attack by husband against hi s w ife or for mer w ife: 6 cases

Attack by w om an agai nst her husband or step-father who had comm itted

dom estic vi ol ence against her:4 cases

Attack by w ife against her husband for other r easons (m ari tal dispute over divor ce or

suspected i nfideli ty) :2 cases

Attack by a divorced woman agai nst a w om an whom she suspected of having

a r el ati onshi p w ith her form er husband:1 cases

Attack by a divorced man against the new husband of his form er wi fe: 1 cases

U ncer tai n but beli eved to be r elated to fam il y or r el ati onshi p pr obl em : 5 cases

T OT AL MOTIVES R ELA TED T O F AM IL Y OR R EL AT ION SH IP PR OBL EM : 32 cases

Other Moti ves: Argum ent, dispute, r evenge, or robbery 6 cases

T OT AL OT HER M OT IVES: 6 cases

T OT AL UN KN OWN M OTIVES: 6 cases

TOTAL CA SE S : 44 cases

T he most c ommon type of a tta ck wa s a w if e thr owing ac id on a suspe cted mistr ess or se c ond w if e.

Attacks by husbands against their wives or former wives were the next most common. Thehusbands usually had a history of abusing their wives. Husbands threw acid as punishment forsomething the wife had done, or because of a separation or divorce. For example, one victim wasa woman who tried to divorce her husband, who had beaten her and had raped a village girl. Herhusband, who accused her of getting a new boyfriend, chased her with a gun and poured acid onher face. In another case, a man threw acid at this wife after she refused to give him 500 riels tobuy cigarettes and tried to stop him from beating their son.

There was also one case of a divorced man who threw acid on his former wife’s new husband.

6 These statistics refer to suspected or confirmed perpetrators. They refer to the main perpetrator or instigator of the

attacks, and do not include accomplices of the perpetrator. The number of female perpetrators includes one case in

which a man threw the acid but was believed to have been hired to do so by a woman.

LIVING IN THE SHADOWS: ACID ATTACKS IN CAMBODIA8

MARRIAGE ENDS WITH ACID ATTACK

Chenda7 was aged 16 when her parents asked her to marry a man, a Ministry of

Defense colonel, aged more than 50. The man agreed to build a house on her

family’s land, where he would live with Chenda and her parents. He said he would

look after Chenda forever, and would also find treatment for her blind mother so that

she could see again.

A fter they were marri ed and Chenda gave birth to a boy, her husband began treati ng

her and her parents badly. H e cursed her and blamed C henda, and someti mes

refused to al low her to see or breast-feed their baby. H e was very j eal ous of Chenda,

and cursed her i f he saw her talking to other peopl e or if she was l ate comi ng home

from the market. H is bad behavi or continued for several years and in 2000, after four

years of marriage, he became more menaci ng. H e threatened many ti mes to “spoil ”

C henda’s appearance forever, and to hi re someone to harm her. H is threats w ere

heard by C henda’ s parents and by nei ghbors.

Worried for Chenda’s safety, her parents locked the gate one day, preventing her

husband from entering the house. He responded by filing a complaint to the court for

a divorce and to divide ownership of the house between him and Chenda’s family.

Several weeks later, two young men sprayed acid at Chenda as she was walking

home with her younger sister. Chenda felt burning on her face and around her eyes,

her clothes began to melt, and some of the acid also struck her sister’s back and

shoulder. They ran to a neighbor’s house to wash off their burning skin and clothes,

and went to hospital. Chenda spent three days in hospital and her burns took weeks

to heal. But she was very lucky – the acid was battery acid, which is heavily diluted

with water and not strong. She was not blinded, and her face was left with

permanent pockmarks but not big scars or deformities. If the acid had been

stronger, her injuries would have been far worse.

Ten days after the attack, w hi l e Chenda’ s face w as stil l burned and sore, the

provi nci al court rul ed on her husband’ s divorce compl ai nt and gave custody of their 3-

year-old son to her husband. The court al lowed her husband to move back i nto thei r

house, w ith him occupyi ng the upstai rs and Chenda and her parents li vi ng dow nstai rs.

The husband moved back to the house, and the son w ent to l ive w ith him.

Chenda and parents made a complaint about the acid attack, but no-one was

arrested. Chenda and her parents never saw the police come to question her

husband, even though he had threatened to hire someone to harm her.

In late 2001, the Court of Appeal ordered that Chenda should receive custody of her

son, and ownership of the whole house. Her husband appealed the decision to the

Supreme Court, which has not yet ruled on the case. But the husband moved out of

the house to go and live with a new wife, and took the son with him. Chenda has not

seen her son since then, and doesn’t know when she will.

Cases of women throwing acid on their husbands included one attack by a wife who suspectedher husband had a mistress, and another one by a wife angry that her husband wanted to divorceher. In another case, a divorced woman attacked a woman whom she suspected of being herformer husband’s new girlfriend.

7 Not her real name, to protect her privacy.

A REPORT BY LICADHO 9

There were four cases of victims of domestic violence throwing acid on the perpetrators of theviolence: three wives who attacked their husbands who had often beaten them, and one youngwoman who attacked her step-father who had repeatedly beaten and tried to rape her.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LEADS TO ACID ATTACK

A 33-year-old former soldier used to beat his wife at their house in Kandal province.

He had no regular job to make money to support his wife and young daughter, but

drank alcohol and gambled a lot. When he was drunk, he would quarrel and abuse

his family. He used to beat his wife with his hands and sticks, kick her, and smash

property in the house. Villagers and the local authorities knew that this man always

beat his wife and destroyed property when he was drunk. His wife decided to keep a

liter of acid at home, to protect herself. One day in year 2000, her husband beat her

seriously with his hands and a stick and a knife. Relatives of his wife and other

villagers watched the abuse but no one dared to try to stop it. His wife ran to get the

acid and threw it at her husband. His face was seriously burned, destroying one of

his eyes and part of his nose. Some acid also splashed onto the clothes of relatives

of the wife, including her mother and her niece. Police arrested the wife, who said

she only wanted to warn her husband not to abuse her. The wife was sentenced to

four years in prison, but the husband was never arrested for beating her.

In five other cases, the perpetrators or their exact motives were uncertain from newspaperreports but the attacks were apparently linked to jealousy or anger about relationships. Forexample, a young couple was attacked while riding on a moto after their engagement party.Another case was an attack on a young woman who had been involved with a marriedgovernment official, and been wooed by many other men.

Six of the 44 acid attacks were motivated by other reasons, not connected to families orrelationships. They included:

§ A man who tried to throw acid at night at a neighbor, but hit the wrong person,because of a dispute over a bicycle;

§ A Buddhist association president who sprayed acid at monks, slightly injuring onemonk, during a dispute over property at a wat;

§ Two cases in which the motive was believed to be attempted robbery of motorcyclesof the victims. In both cases, the perpetrators escaped without stealing the motosbecause local people intervened when they heard the victims shouting out for help.

Victims’ injuriesAt least three acid victims died, all at the time of the attack or within a few hours:

§ A 33-year-old woman in Kompong Cham who was attacked by a divorced womanwho thought her former husband was having a relationship with the victim.

§ A 34-year-old man in Prey Veng whose wife poured a liter of acid over him becausehe beat her and her parents;

§ A 35-year-old man in Kompong Cham who beat his wife on the head with a chain; whenhis wife returned from receiving treatment at hospital, she poured acid over his body.

Another 60 people were injured by acid. At least 39 of them suffered serious injuries to the face,body or limbs. Injuries to the face were most common. At least four people were blinded in oneor both eyes, and another 11 suffered eye injuries but it was unclear from newspaper reportswhether they were permanently blinded.

LIVING IN THE SHADOWS: ACID ATTACKS IN CAMBODIA10

chapter four: PHYSICAL CONSEQUENCES FOR VICTIMS

Acid burns are among the worst injuries that a human being can suffer. Victims’ faces andbodies are tortured by the acid, leaving them with hideous scars and disabilities for the rest oftheir lives. Blindness or deafness may also occur, because the acid is usually thrown at the head.

Victims who survive their injuries have a long, painful and exhausting recovery. Deep burns arevery difficult to heal and vulnerable to infection and other problems. Victims usually have tospend weeks or months in hospital, until their wounds begin to heal and the risk of infection isgone. Most will need multiple surgical operations and treatment lasting for years.

Medical expertise and equipment is poor in Cambodia, and severe acid damage can never befully repaired. Acid victims will never look the same as they did before. Victims often have topay for their medical treatment, and the quality of treatment they receive may depend on howmuch money they have. Some victims may not go to hospital at all, but try to treat their ownwounds or go to local medical clinics or traditional healers.

InjuriesAcid burns through skin and flesh layer by layer, causing great pain and injury. It eats throughthe two layers of the skin, into the fat and muscle underneath, and sometimes down to the bone.It may dissolve the bone. The deepness of injury depends on the strength of the acid and theduration of contact with the skin – the burning continues until the acid is thoroughly washed offwith water.

Thrown on a person’s face, acid rapidly eats into eyes, ears, nose and mouth. The pain isexcruciating, as an intense burning heat cuts through the victim’s flesh like a hot knife. Eyelidsand lips may burn off completely. The nose may melt, closing the nostrils, and ears shrivel up.Acid can quickly destroy the eyes, blinding the victim. Skin and bone on the skull, forehead,cheeks and chin may dissolve. As well as the face, the acid usually splashes or drips over theneck, chest, back, arms or legs, burning anywhere it touches.

The biggest immediate danger for victims is breathing failure. Inhalation of acid vapors cancreate breathing problems in two ways: by causing a poisonous reaction in the lungs or byswelling the neck, which constricts the airway and strangles the victim. One Cambodian acidvictim died because the acid flowed into his nose and airway.

But victims usually do not die. The aim of most acid attacks is not to kill, but to maim anddisfigure. The perpetrator wants the victim to live with a mutilated face, looking like a monster,and continue to suffer forever.

PHYSICAL CONSEQUENCES OF ACID

As acid burns heal, they produce thick scars which pull the skin very tight and can

cause severe disfigurements: eyelids no longer close, mouths no longer open; and

the chin becomes welded to the chest. The following information on consequences

of acid burns is from the NGO Medecins Du Monde and doctors at Calmette hospital

in Phnom Penh.

Skull: May be partly destroyed or deformed. Hair is often lost.

Forehead: Skin may shrink, as though stretched tightly, and be scarred.

Ears: Shriveled up and deformed. Deafness may occur immediately or later.

Cartilage in the ear is usually partly or totally destroyed, exposing the

victim to future infection and hearing loss.

Eyes: Direct acid contact or acid vapors can damage eyes, causing blindness.

Even if the eyes survive the acid attack, they remain vulnerable to other

A REPORT BY LICADHO 11

threats which can cause blindness during the victim’s recovery. Eyelids

may have been burned off, or may be deformed by scarring, leaving the

eyes to dry up and go blind. This is very difficult to prevent.

Nose: Shrunken and deformed. Nostrils may close completely because the

cartilage is destroyed.

Cheeks: Scarred and deformed.

Mouth: Shrunken and narrowed, and may lose its shape. Lips may be partly or

totally destroyed. Lips may be permanently flared, exposing the teeth.

Movement of the lips, mouth and face may be impaired. Eating can be

difficult.

Chin: Scarred and deformed. The scars may run downward, welding the chin

to the neck or chest.

Neck: Often badly damaged. It may have a thick cord of scarred flesh running

down from the chin to the upper chest, or a wide, heavily-scarred area

on one side of the neck. Victim may be unable to extend the neck, or

the head may constantly lean to one side.

Chest: Often badly scarred. The chest may have narrow lines of scars or wide

patches of scars from acid splashes or drips. In girls and young women,

the development of their breasts may be stopped, or their breasts may

be destroyed completely.

Shoulder: May be badly scarred, especially around the underarm, which may limit

the victim’s arm movement. In some cases, one or both of the victim’s

upper arms may be stuck like glue to the sides of their body.

TreatmentThe first treatment should be to flush the burned flesh with water for at least 60 minutes, to washoff the acid and stop the burning.

Emergency treatment at hospitals should include cleaning and bandaging the burns, andrelieving any breathing problems caused by acid fumes. Doctors may have make incisions in theneck, or insert a tube down the throat, to allow the victim to breath.

Doctors carefully cut off pieces of infected or dead tissue around the burns, which may includeflesh on the neck, back, chest, arms and even the face or the ears. Infection is a major danger forvictims, because the dead tissue around deep burns is easily infected. Infection prevents thehealing of the burns, spreads to healthy skin, and may kill the victim. Infection can attack thevictim at any stage during the weeks and months it takes for acid burns to begin to heal. Thewounds need to be constantly kept clean, and antibiotics given to fight infection. If infectiondevelops, doctors may need to cut off more flesh.

Doctors do surgical operations to cover the burn wounds with very thin layers of undamagedskin taken from elsewhere on the patient’s body, usually the thigh. Large, deep burns will notheal by themselves, so these skin grafts are done to close the wounds, prevent infection and helpthem to heal. The skin grafts are itchy and painful as they heal.

Burns are one of the most painful injuries which a human can suffer, and pain medicine isimportant. Some of the deepest acid burns may not be painful, because the nerves in the skin aredestroyed, but the areas around them may be extremely painful. Each step of the treatment, fromwashing the wounds to undergoing surgical operations, may cause more pain.

LIVING IN THE SHADOWS: ACID ATTACKS IN CAMBODIA12

Doctors must pay special attention to try to save the functioning of the eyes, nose and mouth,according to Medecins Du Monde doctors who have treated acid victims at Phnom Penh’sCalmette Hospital. A device may be inserted between the lips to keep the mouth open and inproper shape, and small tubes inserted up the nostrils to prevent them from closing. The eyes arevery vulnerable to infection and other problems which can cause blindness. Most important is toensure that victims can close their eyes, preventing them from becoming dry and infected.Surgery may be needed to rebuild the eyelids, if they were destroyed by acid, or remove thickscars around the eyes as burns heal.

Eating enough food is vital because victims’ bodies require a lot of energy to fight infection andheal the wounds. Burn victims require at least twice the calories that other people need. Thismay be difficult if the victim has burns around the mouth and difficulty swallowing, or doesn’thave enough money to buy a lot of food. The victim can be trapped into a vicious cycle ofmalnutrition, infection and further damage to the skin.

It can take 3 to 12 months for burn wounds to heal. Thick scars, which are painful and itchy,grow over the healed burns. The scars grow and change over 1 to 2 years. As the scars thickenand contract, they can cause permanent disability by stiffening joints and restricting movement.Scarring on the neck and shoulders, for example, can prevent the patient from moving the heador arms properly. Doctors may need to perform many operations to release the scars and graftnew skin over them. Scars may also grow over the nostrils or ear canals, and surgery is requiredto remove them.

Long periods of intensive physical therapy are needed to minimize victims’ lack of movementfrom scarring, and special elastic bandages can dramatically reduce the thickness and stiffness ofscars. However, such treatment is difficult to arrange in Cambodia. Some skin creams are alsohelpful to improve scars and reduce itching, but are expensive for many people.

T he la st stage of tr e atme nt is to tr y to re store the appea ra nce of the victim’ s f ac e a nd body a s muc ha s possible . At this stage , the w ounds ha ve he aled completely a nd the f ull e xtent of sca rr ing a nddef or mitie s of the body c a n be se en. T he victim ma y r equir e many ope ra tions over tw o or thr ee yea rs. Pie c es of hea vily- sc a rr ed flesh may be r e move d or c over e d with mor e gr a fts of undamage dskin f rom e lsew her e on the vic tim’s body. Sur geons tr y to improve the sha pe of the lips, e yelids,c he eks a nd othe r par ts of the f ac e, although e xper tise to do this is ve ry limite d in Cambodia .

Even after their wounds are fully healed, victims may still suffer pain and discomfort. Victimsoften complain that their scars are itchy and sore, and some say they have breathing or otherhealth problems. “When I have pain and my scars are itchy and I have trouble breathing, it isvery difficult to bear,” said one acid victim. “Nothing I can say can describe the pain andsuffering, and nothing can help to take it away.”

Hospital servicesMedical services for acid victims are extremely limited. In Phnom Penh, most acid victims go toKossamak Hospital, which has for many years treated burn victims and recently opened a specialburns unit. The unit, which treats all types of burns, is the only specialist one in Cambodia. It hastwo beds for patients and a staff of three surgeons and three nurses. Calmette Hospital, SihanoukHospital and the Center of Hope hospital also sometimes receive acid victims in Phnom Penh. Inthe provinces, victims go to provincial hospitals, which are poorly equipped to deal with suchinjuries, or transferred to Phnom Penh if they can afford it or receive transport assistance.

Depending on the extent of their wounds, victims may stay in hospital for weeks or months.After they are released, they may return to hospitals or some medical NGOs for furtheroperations. Some victims receive follow-up surgery from the Rose Center at Kien Khleang, orfrom NGOs such as Medecins Du Monde which sometimes send foreign surgeons on missionsto Cambodia.

Victims often have to pay for medical treatment at government hospitals, although somehospitals may agree not to charge poor people. How long a victim can stay in hospital, and thequality of treatment they receive, may depend on how much money they have. Doctors at

A REPORT BY LICADHO 13

government hospitals in Phnom Penh say they advise victims’ families, if they have money, tobuy better medicines outside of the hospitals. Victims who can afford it may go to privatemedical clinics or travel to Vietnam or other countries for treatment.

The medical costs do not end when the victim leaves hospital. The victim may still needbandages, antibiotics and other medicine while recovering at home. There are also transportcosts, especially for victims from the provinces, to go to Phnom Penh for follow-up surgery. Thevictim, who usually cannot work, also has to find money for food and other living expenses.Poor victims and their families may be forced to sell motorcycles, land or other property to payfor all these costs, forcing them into deeper poverty.

Some victims may not even go to hospital immediately after an acid attack, but try to treatthemselves or go to local medics or traditional healers. According to Calmette Hospital doctors,at least 16 acid victims who were later treated there said they did not immediately seek treatmentfrom hospitals after they were burned. The victims waited at least a month, and sometimes morethan 6 months, before going to Calmette. Victims who do not receive proper emergencytreatment after an acid attack often suffer more severe health problems, scars and deformities.

MOTHER KILLED & SONS INJURED

One night in December 1999, two young boys were asleep with their mother at

home in Prey Chhor district in Kompong Cham. Three people arrived outside the

house and called for the boys’ mother to open the door. Lighting a lamp and

opening the door, the mother was hit in the face by acid. A lot of acid also splashed

over the victim’s 12-year-old son, who had woken and sat up when his mother went

to open the door. The other son, aged 10, who was still lying down, was hit by a

smaller amount of acid.

The perpetrators ran off as the mother screamed. Her brother, who lived nearby,

arrived to help his sister. She was badly injured on her face and chest, and her hair

was burned off. Her body began to convulse, she rolled around in pain, and her

urine and stools flowed uncontrollably from her body. She died at home, in front of

her relatives, after more than two hours of suffering.

Her 12-year-old son was badl y burned on his face, chest, arms and back, and hi s

younger brother burned on the side of his head. Both were taken to the di strict hospital

and then to the provincial hospital, but the hospital s would not admit them because the

12-year-old w as too badly injured. The boys were sent to hospital in Phnom Penh.

The attack was committed by a woman named Vong Nearm, aged 43, and two

accomplices. Vong Nearm had been divorced from her husband about six months

earlier. Three months before the attack, Nearm saw her former husband working in

a ricefield with the victim, and suspected the two had a relationship. “If someone

takes my husband, their intestines will fly in the air,” an angry Nearm warned.

Nearm was convicted for the attack and sentenced to 18 years in prison. One

accomplice, a man named Soeun Puth, was sentenced to 3 years in prison. The

other accomplice, his brother named Soeun Seard, escaped but was sentenced in

absentia to 14 years imprisonment.

The victims’ two children have had to recover from their i njuri es and face the rest of their

chi ldhood without their mother. The youngest son now lives with other rel atives in

Kampong Cham. The eldest son, who was most seriously injured, l ives in an NGO

center i n Phnom Penh. H is face and body is still badl y disfigured. H e has received

surgery to try to reduce the acid scars and will require more operations in the future. His

health i s erratic, and he complai ns of fever, colds, coughing, and i tchy scars.

LIVING IN THE SHADOWS: ACID ATTACKS IN CAMBODIA14

chapter five: OTHER CONSEQUENCES FOR VICTIMS

Imagine for a minute that your face was horribly scarred. How would you feel? How wouldpeople behave toward you? Acid attacks change the lives of victims forever, as they areconstantly tortured by huge psychological, social and economic consequences.

Psychological consequencesA cid a ttac ks do not only destr oy skin and bone , but a lso ser iously dama ge the wa y vic tims f ee l a ndthink. T he se psychologica l proble ms ar e c ause d by the te rr or victims suff er during the a tta ck, a sthe y f ee l the ir skin burning a w ay, a nd the te r rible disf igur e me nt they ha ve to live w ith a f te rw a rd.

Victims suffer many psychological symptoms, such as:

§ Depression: Feeling sad and hopeless; thinking they can never have a normal lifeagain; wanting to die.

§ Thinking and worrying a lot.

§ Sleeping problems: Insomnia or nightmares.

§ Fearful: Afraid that the perpetrator will harm them again; afraid to go outside andsee other people.

§ Headache s, we akness and tire dness, dif ficulty to conc entrate or reme mber things.

Doctors and nurses at Kompong Cham provincial hospital say acid victims usually insist they donot want to live any longer. They are depressed, ashamed, worried, and cannot concentrate. Theyfear that no one will care or pay attention to them in the future, and feel very lonely.

An acid victim taken to Kossamak hospital in Phnom Penh begged her family to ask doctors togive her a lethal injection to kill her, according to her grandmother. The victim has now beendischarged from hospital but she is still very sad, ashamed, fearful for her future, and cries a lot,the grandmother said.

Victims suffer severe psychological symptoms for years, if not forever, because they arereminded every day of their physical scars. They may not be able to bear to look at themselves ina mirror, or have other people look at them. They may feel hopeless, worthless and believe theyhave nothing to live for. “I look like a ghost, so I hate myself,” said one Cambodian acidsurvivor. “I have the soul of a dead woman now,” said another one. “My body is alive but mysoul is dead.”

Social & economic consequencesVictims also face a lifetime of discrimination from other people. They become lonely andashamed because people may stare or laugh at them, blame them for their bad fate, or just avoidthem completely. Friends and even family members may abandon them. Victims may not wantto go outside of their homes. Even simple tasks such as going to market can be veryembarrassing and frightening for them. Victims who are single are unlikely to ever get married.

Discrimination from other people, or disability such as blindness, makes it very difficult forvictims to find jobs and make money. For example, one victim who tried to start a roadside foodstall had to give up because “people are too frightened and disgusted by my condition to dobusiness with me”. Many victims depend on their families for food and money, which makes thefamily poorer and leads to stress and family conflicts. It is not only the victims, but also theirfamilies, who suffer in many ways from acid attacks.

However, despite the many hardships that they suffer, it is important to remember that acidsurvivors can rebuild their lives. It is easy - but wrong - for other people to think that acidvictims can have no future. With support, encouragement and opportunities to learn new skills,they can be helped to help themselves, to find jobs and live well. An example is the story ofBoun Mao below.

A REPORT BY LICADHO 15

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

In 1993, after he was blinded by acid thrown in his face by a robber, Boun Mao

wanted to die because he thought he had nothing to live for. Ten years later, he can

use a computer, has earned a university degree, and is the director of an

association which helps blind people.

Boun Mao, aged 33, is living proof that acid survivors are not helpless and hopeless.

Although they must confront many obstacles, they can achieve as much as any

other person.

Mao was a young university student in 1993 when a robber threw acid at hi m and stol e

his moto in P hnom Penh. Mao was taken to an UNTA C hospital and treated by German

doctors, who told him he would never be abl e to see again. He asked the doctors to kill

him and, when they woul dn’t, he thought about committing suicide. “I thought I had no

life, no way to support myself because I am an orphan. How coul d I l ive?”

But Mao decided to fight to survive, and slowly he managed to rebuild his life. He

had to learn how to take care of himself as a blind person, to cook and clean and do

everything else like other people. He studied for three years at a rehabilitation

center for the blind at Wat Sarawan, run by the Maryknoll NGO. He learned English,

Braille (in Khmer and English), typing, and other skills. Finally, he trained in

massage techniques, so that he could have the chance to earn money in the future.

As well as learning to have the confidence and determination to get new skills, he

had to overcome discrimination from other people who thought a blind man like him

could do nothing.

“When I started, people laughed at me and said ‘Why do you study?’. I was upset,

but I tried very hard to change their attitude. Slowly, slowly, their attitude changed.”

In 1997, Mao and other blind trainees established a massage center called ‘Seeing

Hands’ in Phnom Penh, to provide massages to foreign and Khmer customers.

Their business grew and the blind staff were able to earn money to support

themselves, without having to depend on others.

Today, ‘Seeing Hands’ has 7 offices and employs 40 blind masseurs, who earn $50-

200 a month, and 13 other people.

In 1999, Mao went to Thailand to study computer skills (using a computer with a

voice synthesizer, for blind people) and leadership. After he returned to Cambodia,

Mao became the first blind student to study at the University of Phnom Penh, and

was recently awarded a bachelor’s degree in English language.

Mao wants to help other people, not just himself. In 2000 he helped to establish the

Association of the Blind in Cambodia, an organization for blind people to help blind

people, and was appointed its director.

Mao beli eves it’ s important for aci d survivors and bl ind people to struggle to l earn new

ski ll s, to be able to l ook after themsel ves, earn money and not have to rel y on others.

“There is discrimination against us, but it also depends on ourselves, to be strong or not. If

we are strong to show that we have ability to do things, then when they see our activities,

they see that we are independent by ourselves, how can they discriminate against us?

LIVING IN THE SHADOWS: ACID ATTACKS IN CAMBODIA16

They cannot discriminate any more, because we are the same as sighted people. We

earn our money by our hard work, by our energy, not like a beggar or a thief.”

Mao encourages victims to fight to improve their lives, but he also urges

government, police and court officials to fulfill their responsibilities to prevent and

punish acid attacks.

“Firstly, I would like them to think about the acid, and the people who use acid for

their businesses. If they want to buy acid for business purposes, they should have to

have authorization to buy it. Secondly, if you use acid to threaten other people, you

need to face the law very strictly. That means you must be taken to court.”

Even though he is blind and his face is still badly scarred – he has had 7 operations

to reconstruct his face, including his nose and mouth which were destroyed by acid

– Mao knows he has much reason to live.

Remembering the time after the acid attack when he wanted to die, Mao smiles and

says: “Now, I’m very happy to live. I am very happy I can help other people to get

jobs. Now, I not only smile myself, but I let other people smile too, in a hopeful way.”

chapter six: THE LAW

How can perpetrators be punished?Cambodian criminal law does not mention acid violence. But perpetrators can be charged withbattery with injury, which carries a sentence of up to 10 years imprisonment. If the victims diesor receives life-threatening injuries, more serious charges such as murder, attempted murder ormanslaughter should be laid. They carry sentences of 10 years to life imprisonment.

Is the law enforced?The police generally take action to investigate acid attacks, according to newspaper reports. Thepolice arrested people for at least 13 of the 44 attacks reported in newspapers in the past threeyears. In some other cases, the police identified suspected perpetrators but it was unclearwhether arrests were made.

A c ommon pr oble m is tha t per pe tra tor s tr y to per sua de victims or the ir fa milie s to withdra w the irc ompla ints to the courts, by of fe ring the m money or promising to pay f or the ir me dica l c osts.V ic tims who a re poor and have e xpensive medic a l bills, a nd know they ma y not be a ble to wor k inthe f uture to ma ke mone y, ma y f ee l the y have no choic e but to a gr e e. U nfortuna te ly, some police a nd c our t off ic ials may a c ce pt this, e ve n though it violates their duties unde r the la w.

It is unclear how many attacks lead to prosecutions and convictions by the courts. LICADHO isaware of convictions in only six cases, but there may have been other convictions. In a fewcases, prosecutions are currently in progress but yet to go to trial.

The six attacks that led to convictions, and the perpetrators’ sentences, are:

§ A woman who threw acid on her drunk and abusive husband, blinding him in oneeye, during one of his many beatings of her: 4 years imprisonment.

§ A woman who threw acid on her husband, blinding him in both eyes, because hewas divorcing her: 15 years imprisonment;

§ A man who threw acid on his wife because she left him to go and live with anotherman: 9 months imprisonment;

A REPORT BY LICADHO 17

§ A woman who threw acid on her husband’s second wife, seriously injuring her: 6years imprisonment for attempted murder.

§ A woman who killed a woman and injured her two sons with acid because she suspectedthe victim of having a relationship with her former husband: 18 years imprisonment (twoaccomplices were also convicted and sentenced, although one escaped);

§ A woman who threw acid on her husband’s second wife, seriously mutilating her,and kidnapped the victim’s baby: a 2 years suspended sentence (so the perpetratorspent no time in prison).

These cases illustrate that court sentences for acid violence may vary greatly. For example, threecases which went to trial in Kompong Cham provincial court produced the following sentences:9 months imprisonment; 18 years imprisonment; and two years imprisonment, suspended.

Two convictions show a huge inconsistency in sentencing by the courts, probably because ofdiscrimination against women: a woman who threw acid on her husband was jailed for 15 years,but a man who threw acid on his wife got only 9 months imprisonment.

While some acid throwers have been convicted and sent to prison, others – especially those withpower or money – live freely. An example is the woman who threw acid at her husband’s secondwife and kidnapped the victim’s baby. The victim was permanently scarred and her baby wasnever returned to her. The perpetrator, named Minh Rinath, who is married to an army colonel,was convicted but received only a suspended sentence. The decision was made by the chiefjudge of Kampong Cham provincial court.

Another example is the 1999 attack on karaoke singer Tat Marina. The Phnom Penh municipalcourt issued an arrest warrant for attempted murder for the alleged perpetrator, who is the wifeof a senior government official, but she was never arrested.

If powerful people are involved in acid attacks, it sends a dangerous message to Cambodiansociety that acid throwing is acceptable behavior. This message is reinforced if the perpetratorsare not arrested and punished properly.

“DO THEY UNDERSTAND THE VICTIM’S PAIN?”

Bophal8 does not understand why the perpetrator who threw acid over her, damaging her

face and body forever, has never spent even one day in prison. Nothing can compensate

Bophal for her suffering, but she at least wants the authorities to try to understand it.

“Do the court officials and the authorities have compassion? Do they understand the

victim’s pain?,” asks Bophal, crying as she tries to explain her suffering. “It is impossible to

describe it with words. Nothing can compare to the suffering that acid victims endure.”

Several years after the acid attack, Bophal’s perpetrator, a rich woman, still lives

freely and can do whatever she wants. Bophal, a poor woman, lives in a cage of

suffering, misery and fear. She knows she can never forget or remove the horrible

scars on her face and body, which still often feel hot, itchy and painful. Bophal is

afraid to go outside much, because the perpetrator’s relatives have threatened her

and her family to try to get them to drop their court complaint. She feels no

protection from the courts, which have so far failed to put the perpetrator in prison.

Bophal hopes that the law will be strengthened and that perpetrators of acid attacks

will be properly punished, so that the pain and suffering of victims is recognized.

“I would like to appeal to court officials, government officials and other authorities to

pay attention and to punish the perpetrators, no matter if they are poor or rich, weak

or strong, simple people or powerful people,” she says.

8 Not her real name, to protect her privacy.

LIVING IN THE SHADOWS: ACID ATTACKS IN CAMBODIA18

Important law initiativeA new dr aft law on dome stic viole nce includes a provision to punish acid throw ers by 5-10 yea rs inprison. This would be the first time that Cambodian law specifically refe rs to acid atta cks, and shouldhelp to bring acid throwers to justice and encourage consistenc y in court sentences for perpe trators.The draf t law has to be appr oved by the National Asse mbly and Senate before it take s eff ect.

In order to make it str onger , some cha nges should be made to the wor ding of this pr ovision in thedra ft la w bef ore the Na tiona l Assembly and Senate approve it. T he current draf t provision wouldonly apply to family me mbers who throw acid on other membe rs of their family. This would excludepeople w ho throw a cid a t vic tims who a re not related to them, such a s wives who attack theirhusband’ s mistresses. T he wording should be changed so tha t it applies to anyone who thr ows a cidfor any reason connecte d to domestic, family or personal r elationship issues, regar dless of w hethe rthe perpetrator and the victim ar e in the same f amily. Also, the maximum penalty for acid thr owingshould be inc rease d, especia lly if per manent disability such as blindness occurs.

The draft provision in the domestic violence law is a valuable initiative against acid attackswhich should be supported and strengthened to make it as effective as possible. In addition tothe draft domestic violence law, the proposed new penal code should also contain similar strongpunishments for people who throw acid for other reasons, such as robbery.

chapter seven: EXPERIENCE IN BANGLADESH

Acid throwing occurs in other Asian countries including Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Nepal,Vietnam and Laos. Some cases have also been reported in Africa, Europe and the United States.

One of the countries with the biggest problems is Bangladesh, where acid violence has increasedalarmingly in recent years. At least 47 acid attacks were reported there in 1996, 130 in 1997 andmore than 200 in 1998. At least 250 attacks a year occurred since then, meaning a total of 750attacks between 1999-2001.

In the beginning, acid attacks were nearly always directed only at young women and girls,committed by men who were jealous or angry that the victims had rejected their sexual advancesor marriage proposals. As acid violence grew more common, however, men and older womenalso became targets, and the motives for attacks grew more varied. Now, more than 30% ofvictims are men, and land disputes are one of the biggest reasons for attacks.

The escalating problem has been blamed on various factors, including lack of punishment foracid throwers. Because many perpetrators are not arrested, other people believe they can committhe crime and will get away with it. Of the 750 reported acid attacks between 1999 and 2001,only about 25 perpetrators were convicted. The Bangladesh police and the courts are corrupt,poorly trained and inefficient. Many perpetrators are rich and powerful, so they bribe theauthorities not to take action or threaten or pay the victims to withdraw their complaints. Manyvictims are poor, do not know about the law and cannot afford to wait a long time while thepolice and courts investigate the case. The problem has now grown so serious that thegovernment has established a special court to prosecute acid throwers.

Others rea sons for a cid violence include Bangladesh’s male-domina ted society, where discriminationand violence against women is common. Many Bangladeshi men view wome n as prope rty a nd notequal to men, and some react violently if a woma n ref uses to ha ve se x or to ma rry them. However, a sacid thr owing beca me more common, men as we ll as wome n have bec ome victims.

A contributing problem is that acid can be bought easily and very cheaply in Bangladesh, so thegovernment is now planning a new law to strictly control acid sales.

A REPORT BY LICADHO 19

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTION

The time to act against acid attacks is now. Acid attacks are very destructive for Cambodiansociety and culture, and set a bad example for young Khmers. If acid throwing becomes morecommon in Cambodia, more and more people will think that it is an acceptable way to resolvetheir problems. Khmer lives will continue to be destroyed by acid.

I nitia tive s tha t c ould be ta ke n imme diate ly to pre vent a nd punish ac id atta c ks a nd to he lp victims:

LAW TO PUNISH PERPETRATORS:The N ati onal Assembl y and the S enate should strengthen and approve the provi si ons

against aci d attacks contained in the draft l aw on domesti c violence. The l aw shoul d

apply to al l aci d attacks commi tted because of domestic, fami ly or personal

rel ati onshi p issues. The maximum penal ti es for perpetrators shoul d be i ncreased for

cases of permanent di sabi l ity such as bl i ndness. The draft new penal code should

also i nclude strong sentences for acid attacks committed for other reasons, such as

robbery. The pol ice, courts and the publ i c shoul d be educated on the l aws.

PUBLIC EDUCATION:The public should be educated, especially through popular media such as television

and radio, about the cruelty and immorality of acid throwers. Education should

emphasis that perpetrators can and should be sent to prison. Education should also

promote compassion – not blame – for victims.

ASSIST VICTIMS TO SPEAK OUT:Acid victims are isolated and ignored in society. It is important that the voices of

victims can be heard, or little will be done to assist them and prevent acid attacks.

Victims should be assisted to form groups to speak on their own behalf to the

government, the courts, and the public.

CONDEMNATION OF ACID ATTACKS:Senior government officials, police and court officials, medical doctors, monks, NGO

leaders and others should publicly condemn acid attacks and call for strong

punishment of perpetrators.

MEDICAL & OTHER SERVICES FOR VICTIMS:Acid victims need very special help to rebuild their lives. The government and NGOs

should strongly support the burns unit at Kossamak Hospital in Phnom Penh.

Similar units should be established in the provinces. Victims should be able to

receive counselling and psychological services, and receive assistance to set up

self-help groups to support to each other.

CONTROLS ON ACID SALES:The sale of strong, undiluted acid should be strictly regulated by law. Sellers should

be required to record the names and addresses of all buyers. When acid attacks

occur, part of the police investigation should be to determine where the perpetrator

obtained the acid. Sellers should be prosecuted if they have violated the law.